March 17, 2006

Minneapolis, March 17, 2006 — Latinos will make up 20 percent of the U.S. population by the year 2008. To successfully tap into this important talent pool, chief learning officers must help their leaders effectively manage a workforce with an increasingly Latino identity, Dr. Robert Rodriguez told attendees of the spring 2006 Chief Learning Officer symposium at Amelia Island, Florida.

“Employers need to understand the complexity of the Latino demographic,” said Dr. Rodriguez, business school professor at Capella University, an accredited online university that pioneered online education, and board chairman for the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement. “Never assume that what appeals to one segment of the Latino population will work with another.”

Dr. Rodriguez is a frequent public speaker and contributor to human resources industry magazines. He has extensively studied the learning strategies and best practices used by top companies to recruit, manage, develop and retain Latino employees.

In other symposium news, a session led by Capella University's Bill Young, director of education alliances, and representatives from Medtronic, Electronic Data Services and Xcel Energy, tackled one of the biggest challenges today's learning executives face: preparing high-potential employees to assume leadership roles. A key step, said the panelists, is ensuring that the employees, regardless of time, travel and location, are learning and integrating the specific skills necessary for success in their company's environment.

About Capella University
Founded in 1993, Capella University is an accredited* online university that offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services and psychology, as well as a Bachelor of Science online degree program with 11 specializations in business and information technology. The online university currently serves more than 14,500 enrolled learners from all 50 states and 63 countries. Capella is a national leader in online education, committed to providing high-caliber academic excellence and pursuing balanced business growth. Capella University is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company, headquartered in Minneapolis. For more information, please visit http://www.capella.edu or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552)

*Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, located at 30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602-2504, (312) 263-0456, www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org.